Instead of lashing out after a photo taken without her knowledge was posted online to be ridiculed by man, Balpreet Kaur instead takes the opportunity to educate others about her religion while spreading a message of tolerance and kindness. Standing in line at the Ohio State University library, this photo was snapped of her by a fellow student who was perplexed by seeing a woman with facial hair and decided to post the quandary online where many others made disparaging remarks about Kaur’s appearance.

News got around to Balpreet and she took the the boards to enlighten questioning minds. She said, “”Yes, I’m a baptized Sikh woman with facial hair,” she wrote. “Yes, I realize that my gender is often confused and I look different than most women. However, baptized Sikhs believe in the sacredness of this body – it is a gift that has been given to us by the Divine Being.”

This is an empowering message for many women and men alike who focus so much on the exterior being and appearance of others. She followed up by stating, “”My attitude and thoughts and actions have more value in them than my body because I recognized that this body is just going to become ash in the end, so why fuss about it?”

Members of her religion do not believe in altering their bodies and instead strive to accept them for the gifts that they are. Since posting the picture online, the young man who did so has apologized for being hurtful and said he appreciates her being open about her faith and her story.